


Something I Can't Fix

by orphan_account



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Engineering, F/M, Guardian-Ward Relationship, Hawaii, Hawaiian language, Hurt/Comfort, Infertility, Japan, Marriage, Papa Kukui, Parental Feelings, Pizza, Slice of Life, happy ending i guess, mama burnet, papa hakase, stun spore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-19 02:21:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 13,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19347574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Burnet's got a problem. Something she can't deal with on her own. When she tells her husband, it'll break his heart. But what she doesn't realize is that she's got her solution right in front of her, the thing she and Kukui are looking for--in the shape of a certain Ash Ketchum.This started out as having a real plot but kinda dissolved into a series of one-shot arcs, then tied in at the end. I apologize in advance!Rated T for language and slight innuendo. Criticisms, suggestions, and maybe even...compliments...are warmly welcomed. Enjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

"Munchlax, hand me that torque wrench."

"Muwncsh?" He questions, his mouth full. I see a silver handle poking out of his mouth. My fucking torque wrench.

"HEY! Give that to me!" He pulls it out of his mouth and hands it to me, covered in slobber. Ew. I slide down to the undercarriage of the car, put the wrench around the bolt and tighten. I'm working on fixing up a '67 Camaro. She's a beauty- red leather seats, red body, and chrome accents. Er, a least she's going to be a beauty.

I found this sports car on blocks in the trashy outskirts of Po Town. Its body was all rusty, there was no steering wheel, and the first time I opened the driver-side door, the handle fell off. But the most pressing issue right now is the engine. I'm trying to install a V8, but it's just not very compatible. I can't get it to crank.

I've been working on cars for as long as I can remember. In Unova, my mom and dad owned a mechanic shop in Aspertia City. I wanted to be a mechanical engineer, ready to take over the family business. But in college, I found out about Pokemon research from my roommate Fennel, and, well, here we are. But my skills with engineering still prove useful every now and then- it's how I built to wormhole generator, and how I'm gonna fix this damn car. I'm a tinkerer- I need a project.

So here I am, fiddling with the engine of a broken-down sports car. I've got Dr. Dre blasting to inspire me:

"Be'cuz I'm rollin' in my 6-4

With all the bitches sayin'

Swing down, sweet chariot stop, and

Let me ride..."

Munchlax hums along to the g-funk chorus as I work, tightening bolts and greasing gears. The music turns down suddenly. I slide out from underneath the car and see the smiling face of the man I love standing at the garage door.

"Hey, Burnet. Pizza's here," Kukui alerts me, a bright smile on his face.

"MUCHLAX!" He gets excited and bear hugs Kukui's legs, nearly toppling him.

"Hey, hey! I'm excited for dinner too, but you gotta calm down!" He chuckles, petting Munchlax's head.

"I'll be out in a minute, babe. Lemme clean up here," I throw my wrenches in the toolbox.

"Maikaʻi," Kukui pulls my face gently to his lips, giving me a gentle kiss. He wipes a little grease stain from my forehead and I giggle. He jogs off and I finish up my work.

"Alright, Munchlax, let's get some din'," I tell him, and he bounds along for his pizza. I pull down the garage door, taking a minute to gaze at the Alolan sunset. I step into the house and am immediately greeted by the sound of Ash.

"Meltan! Why'd you have to eat another pan? We've had pizza every night because you eat Professor Burnet's cookware!" He scolds his new Steel-type Pokemon, who has the tendency to eat anything metallic. I'm just glad Meltan hasn't found the garage yet- we'd have bigger problems than just the engine then.

"Reeee!" It whines in protest.

"Pika pika..." Pikachu frowns in disapproval.

"Ash, it's alright. Pizza's good with me," I shrug. His eyes light up as he sees me.

"Hey, Professor! How's the car going?" He passes me a slice from the cardboard box on the counter.

"It's...going," I chuckle as I take a bite of the Unovan-style delicacy.

"Oh, man, it's gonna be so great when it's done! I can't wait to drive it!" Ash puts his hands out on an imaginary steering wheel and swerves it around, like he's driving a car. Badly.

"Maybe you'd want to get your license first, Richard Petty," Kukui pipes up, playfully teasing him. Ash shrugs and laughs.

"Don't worry, Ash. As soon as I finish, you're gonna learn," I tell him. His eyes get wide.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. You've gotta learn somehow!" I ruffle his hair. He giggles and protests. God, he's precious. 

"Zzzzt, GUYS! Alolan Detective Laki is on RIGHT NOW!" Rotom flies up to us hurriedly.

"You're totally right! C'mon!" Ash and Kukui run to the couch and put on their favorite show. I stand back for a minute while I finish my pizza. I observe my husband and Ash, engaged fully in the crime show. They sigh and gasp at all the same parts, perfectly in sync.

Like father and son.

Kukui longs for a son that's really his, I can tell. And believe me, we've been trying...passionately. 

I've got to get this off my chest, before I break my husband's heart:

I'm infertile.


	2. Chapter 2

Yeah, so that's kind of a bombshell.

I found out this morning. It was time for my gyno appointment yesterday—very fun, I know. Everything checked out normally. But I told the doctor how Kukui and I were trying to get pregnant, and how we weren't experiencing any results. So he ran some tests, and I got a call this morning.

The doctor told me I'd never be able to successfully carry a fetus to term.

That I could never bear my husband a child.

That I could never continue my bloodline.

That...

That...

I used to dream about my grownup life as a kid. I'd always imagine I'd have a lovely white wedding, and have a big family, and that my soulmate and I would grow old together, having had a long, full life.

At least I got the wedding.

But I don't know how I'm going to break it to Kukui. He's had enough disappointment in his life. And I know he takes great satisfaction as a teacher; but he wants a kid of his own. And I'm the one who can provide him with one.

God, what a shitshow.

...

Laki is over, and Ash has fallen asleep before the ending, as usual. It's already 10 o'clock.

"Hey, Ash? Wake up. You'll sleep better in the loft," Kukui shakes Ash's shoulder gently.

"Huh? Oh yeah, okay, goodnight." Ash gets up and climbs to the loft sleepily. He collapses onto his couch-bed instantly and snores lightly. Kukui and I giggle.

"He's something, isn't he?" Kukui remarks, shaking his head. He turns to me and yawns. "You ready for bed, too?"

"Uh, yeah. Let's go," We walk downstairs to our bedroom. I get ready for bed, and when I come back in from the bathroom, Kukui's on his laptop, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Damn, I can't believe I forgot to finish my presentation for the meeting I'm having with the Kahunas tomorrow. The Alola League is...a lot more work than I anticipated," Kukui types wildly, shaking his head. I sit down next to him and kiss his cheek. He kisses me back without his hands leaving the keys. A workaholic to the end.

I guess I should tell him now. It's eating at me.

"So, y'know how I had that appointment with the OBGYN yesterday?"

"Uh, yeah," He's totally not paying attention to me.

"I got a call from them on the way to Aether this morning."

"Uh huh," he pauses, registering what I said. "Wait, what?" He turns to face me.

"Yeah, they called me from some test results since I talked about our...difficulties with getting pregnant."

"Well, what did they say?" He holds my hands. He sees my disappointment and his eyebrows furrow.

"They said..." I bite my lip. I feel a lump rising in my throat and my stomach turns.

"It's okay, ku'uipo, I'm listening. What did they say?"

"They said I was infertile." I look down at my feet. I can't dare to meet Kukui's eyes.

Seconds pass in silence.

What have I done?

My vision blurs as tears well up in my eyes.

But I feel his hand under my chin. He lifts up my face so my eyes face his. I see his eyes glassed over in tears, too. He pulls me into an embrace, holding me tight. I feel his shoulders shake and heave and he tries to keep his sobs inside.

"I-I'm sorry," I choke out. He looks down at me.

"How is this your fault?" The tears continue to stream done his face. I've never seen him cry.

"I dunno. I'm just...sorry."

"Me too."

"Dammit, what are we gonna do?"

"I don't know yet, sweetheart. But we'll figure it out, somehow. Did they ask you about IVF or surrogacy or something? Anything?"

"No. They seemed pretty certain we couldn't have biological children in any circumstance. They did give me a referral to a fertility clinic though."

"Okay, then we'll start there," he sighs. "This is just one of those bumps in the road, right?"

"Right. I hope so, at least."

He holds me close all night long, though neither of us slept.


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay, so the first thing you're gonna do is put it in reverse. Be sure you've got your foot on the brake."

"M'kay," Ash squeezes the throttle and pulls it to R.

"Now look behind you. Is anything in your way?"

"Nope."

"Okay, good. Slowly take your foot off the brake. Keep looking behind you."

I watch as his foot leaves the brake and we slide out of the garage. The nose of my 2015 Jeep passes the garage door frames and we've made it to the gravel driveway, without my mirrors being snapped off.

"Very good, Ash!"

"Pikapika!"

"Thanks, Professor. Thank you, buddy," He pets Pikachu, sitting in my lap.

"Now turn your wheel to the left. We're gonna back into the road."

"Okay!" He hits the gas enthusiastically and the car lurches backward into the road. I force myself to stay calm.

"Careful, Ash. Sudden movements and cars don't mix well."

"Yeah," he laughs sheepishly. He gets us turned around and onto the right side of the road. "Y'know, I always drove on the left in Kanto."

"Ash, please, please drive on the right here. No one will expect you to be on the left," I chuckle.

"Alright, I think I can do that." He puts his foot on the gas, slowly accelerating.

"Good, good. It's 45 here but you can go as slow as you like." There's no one ever on this road--Kukui likes to live off the beaten path, which is why this is a good place to teach Ash how to drive. I decided to take the helm on teaching Ash to drive. Kukui is a shit driver, though he'd never admit it. He's constantly speeding and makes rolling stops.

"I can go super fast, no prob. I've got a lot of experience from playing Mario Kart," Ash teases me. 

"Okay, then lead on, Luigi." I humor him, but I'm a little scared of the concept of Ash driving. He's such a clumsy dude. Also, he doesn't have his permit. But hopefully Jenny and her officers aren't patrolling back here.

We speed off down the road, Ash white-knuckling the steering wheel. The wind whips in our hair since I put the soft-top down. I keep an eye on the speedometer--he's approaching 50 mph.

"Watch that speed, Ash."

"Sorry," he apologizes, letting his foot off the gas a little.

"Okay, take a right here." I'm trying to take him downtown, see how he does on city driving. He turns and the car lurches. He grits his teeth. "It's alright, we'll work on it later," I chuckle. "Stay in the right lane." The car goes click-click-click as he flicks the turn signal on.

We cruise down the avenue as I give Ash little instructions for city traffic. He's doing well, listening to my corrections and applying them. He's a smart kid, no doubt.

"Let's park here," We pull into a street parking spot without cars around it, letting him off easy. We'll work on parallel parking later. We've parked next to the Slurpuff Alolan Bakery.

"C'mon, let's get some malasadas. You deserve a treat," I lock the door to my silver Jeep. It's got "I Love the Masked Royal" and "My Munchlax Ate Your Stick Figure Family" bumper stickers on it--cringey, I know, but it gives it character.

Ash and I sit down on the bakery patio, sharing a couple of malasadas.

"Great job today, Ash. You'll get your license before you know it," I encourage him. He beams.

"Thanks, Professor!" His mouth is full of food but he still responds.

"You're very welcome, Ash." Ash picks off a piece of malasada and feeds it to Pikachu, who happily chomps on it. Ash munches on his malasada, but pauses.

"Is something going on between you and Professor Kukui?" Ash asks me, innocent curiosity in his eyes. I'm taken aback.

"Uh, no, why do you ask?"

"You guys just seemed...different today, I dunno," he shrugs. "Like, you kept on giving each other looks, and you spent a long time telling him goodbye today."

He's right; Kukui and I stepped out onto the porch before he left. Kukui was worried about me and wanted to stay at home with me. He knows I'm prone to bouts of anxiety attacks. Of course, I refused and made him get on his way. I can't believe Ash was really paying attention--he usually seems so oblivious to our relationship. Observant kid.

"Oh, yeah, we're fine, no worries," I reassure him. He stares off into space, before piping up again.

"I never had a dad around," he states plainly. "I guess I never really got to see what marriage was like."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ash. I didn't know it was like that for you growing up," I don't know what else to say.

"It's okay. Mom says he went on a Pokemon journey." He furrows his brow. "But sometimes I wish I could have, y'know, met him. Or had a dad around."

"I'm sure it was hard for you." God, what do I even say to that?

"No, it's all good." He smiles and bounces up and down in his seat like a little kid, hyped up from his sugar. I notice his empty plate. 

"You want to drive home?"

"Yeah!" We drive home without getting in any accidents.

I never knew these things about Ash. He's special, that's for sure. 

...

"Okay, so there's one in Hau'oli City," Kukui and I sit at the computer, researching fertility clinics. I spin around in his desk chair, not really paying attention. Maybe ignoring this whole thing will make it go away. It's nearly midnight anyway--too late in my mind to deal with this.

"That one looks good," I comment, kind of ambivalent about the whole situation.

"Well, I guess we could make an appointment, then," Kukui picks up his phone and dials. He makes an appointment that the two of us will go to tomorrow. He thanks them, then hangs up.

He puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me close. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Pfft. I dunno. I...it's just that this whole thing somehow feels like my fault, and you're getting hurt because of it."

His eyes flash. "You're absolutely wrong. Why would you even think that bullshit?"

"I...forget it. Just hold me," I try to suppress the lump rising in my throat. No more tears, no more tears, please, God.

"Anything for you, ku'uipo," He cradles me in his arms and I lean into his tan, rock-solid chest. 

I hear a zap sound from upstairs in the loft and a muffled curse.

What the hell was that?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hey so:
> 
> in this story burnet and kukui are both 28
> 
> ash is 15 and he had his kalos journey last year for the purposes of this chapter

I hear some colorful swearing and what sounds like...crying coming from the loft. Crying? Kukui and I run upstairs simultaneously. I nearly fall while speeding up the ladder.

We find Ash on the floor next to the couch, his head buried in his hands. Pikachu sits on his lap, squeaking urgently to him.

"Ash, what happened?" Kukui asks him desperately. We kneel at his side.

"I-I had a nightmare and Pikachu woke me up from it using Thunderbolt," He pauses, trying to maintain composure while Pikachu nuzzles his hand. "Thanks, buddy." He pets him, but Pikachu still looks anxious.

"Are you okay?" I look him over meticulously. His forehead has beads of sweat on it, and his breath is shallow. He's shaken to the core.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm okay." He tries to dismiss me, wiping the tears off his cheeks.

"It doesn't seem like it, Ash." Kukui says softly.

"It was just a nightmare. I have them all the time, it's no problem." Kukui and I lock eyes at that last part. What's going on with this kid?

"Do you want to talk about it?" I rub his shaking shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"I haven't had this nightmare in a while. It was...when Yveltal killed Pikachu. He just...turned to stone, right in front of me. I..." He trails off, biting his lip to hold back sobs. Pikachu nuzzles Ash's cheek. Yveltal? The legendary?

"And...this happened to you two?" Kukui blanches.

"Yeah. It was last year. Yveltal got woken up from the Cocoon of Destruction and Pikachu got hit by its Oblivion Wing. H-he turned to stone. He was dead for a couple minutes. Xerneas used Geomancy which...brought him back from the dead. But if...if I had protected Pikachu he wouldn't have died in the first place." His eyes are wide and glassy, full of tears.

"Ash, no. Pikachu loves you. And he's here right now." I try to reassure him.

"Pi-kuh." He agrees.

"And you're safe here, Ash. It's okay now," Kukui tries to tell him. He looks at me, desperate, as if to say, What the hell am I supposed to do?

Ash answers the unspoken question--he suddenly launches himself into our laps. He cries into my t-shirt, and Kukui wraps his arms around him protectively. I cradle his head, smoothing his unruly black hair.

"Shhh, it's okay, sweetie." This is a lot. I don't really know how to deal with kids, but I guess I'm doing okay. What's surprising me is Ash's age--at 15, I didn't really do a lot of crying in my parents' laps. And Ash has never been the crybaby type; in fact, he's always been the opposite. I guess Ash must be really upset.

He pulls away from us, wiping the tears off his face with his shirtsleeve. "I'm sorry, I dunno what got into me," he blushes.

"It's perfectly fine, Ash. Do you want to talk more about it?" Kukui asks him softly.

"No, I'm okay I think." He smiles softly, cradling Pikachu in his arms. He yawns.

"School day tomorrow. You should get some sleep if you can," Kukui suggests.

"Yeah, I think I will. Thanks, Professors."

"Goodnight, Ash," I tell him as I head down the ladder.

"Goodnight, keiki," I hear Kukui say. We go back downstairs, leaving Ash to go back to sleep.

 

 

Now I don't know much of the Alolan language, but I know the basics from what Kukui has taught me.

And I know the word keiki.

It means son.


	5. Chapter 5

Goodnight, son.

Is that how Kukui feels about him?

I had no idea.

I mean, Kukui's known Ash twice as long as I have. They were close when I first met Ash. And they spend a lot of time together. But still.

This is quite the contrast from when I first met him.

...

"Come on, Burnet. We've been here twenty minutes and he's been staring at you the whole time. Why don't you go and talk to him?" Fennel asks me, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

We were at a mixer party after a Professors' conference. It was 5 years ago, and I had just given a presentation with Fennel about the Interdream Zone. I was living in Unova at the time, working with Fennel and Juniper on interdimensional research. I still do that now, just with more focus on Ultra Wormholes.

As much as I enjoy a good party, the mixers they'd have after these conferences were always shitty. They were just excuses for people to share resumes and make business connections, under the guise of being a "fun" party. The only times they'd be fun was when someone would get drunk, which was inevitable. And trust me, drunk Professor Elm is hilarious.

Across the room, someone had been eyeing me. A tall, young, muscular, tan dude who looked like a total fuckboy. Hell, he was wearing gray sweatpants and no shirt underneath his lab coat, which barely covered his nipples. No shirt! I'm definitely not in his league, but that's okay. He was standing up against the wall, sipping a beer. He was talking with a lanky, skinny blond guy. I met him earlier...Molayne, maybe? He works on cosmic Pokemon if I remember correctly.

The two of them would steal a glance at me from across the room every 5 seconds, it seemed. What's up with them?

Then again, I couldn't stop staring at him.

"Hey, Earth to Burnet?" Fennel waves a hand in front of my face. "If you're that distracted, just go talk to him!"

"I don't think I have to," I comment as I watch the man come my way. He smiles at me, reaches out his hand and I shake it.

"I really enjoyed your presentation today," He tells me, without a hint of insincerity. He seemed genuinely interested in my work.

"Thank you, Professor..." I look at him quizzically.

"Kukui." He finishes my sentence. He pauses, then smiles shyly. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"That would be great." Fennel gives me a thumbs up when he turns away, smiling widely.

"Don't get your hopes up, Fennel. What if he's, like, a serial killer or something?" I tell her, half-joking, half-not.

"You kidding? He's waaaaay too hot to be a serial killer. Like, damn! His abs! His jawline!" She practically squeals. "Too bad I have a boyfriend already. But you don't!"

"Ha. Well, we'll see how it goes." I see him walking back from the bar, getting me another beer. He pulls out a chair at a nearby table, gesturing politely. I take up his offer, and he pushes in my chair once I sit down. A gentleman. Okay.

We talked for the rest of the night. The more time I spent with him, the more I liked him—he was caring and considerate, but also confident and fun-loving. But he was definitely young; I had the feeling he had a fear of commitment. He was horny and flirty, and seemed like the one-night stand type, not the father type. He was careful not to be too forward with me, but by the end of the night, we were both pretty drunk.

He took me to his hotel room, and...well, let's just say we got to know each other better.

His flight to Alola left the next morning, and I didn't see him again for another 3 years.

But I never forgot that night.

So, when I got a call from the Aether Foundation to be a researcher there, I took it up immediately. But somehow, I never got around to looking for Kukui. I was afraid he had forgotten about me. I thought about him almost every day.

But he found his way to me. Through Ash, actually. I was the researcher sent to monitor Nebby, and I finally got the chance to be with Kukui again.

Boy, had he changed.

He was a teacher, the responsible type. He had a ward staying with him. I had a feeling he hadn't had a one-night stand in a while. He seemed so much more...grown. But he still retained that fun-loving, happy-go-lucky spirit. And he was as hot as ever.

And I found out he felt the same way about me.

We would sneak out on dates once Ash had gone to bed, getting some time alone. We had a love and connection like I'd never felt before. Every day was paradise; the colors seemed brighter, and I was happier. I had a best friend and a lover. I had something worthwhile to think of each morning—my love, my rock, my ku'uipo, Kukui.

Within a year, we were married.

And now we deal with the problem in front of us.

...

"The doctor will be back in a moment with your test results," a nurse informs us. Kukui squeezes my hand tightly. We had spent all morning at the fertility clinic in the city, getting all kinds of tests and scans done for each of us. Each second was agony, waiting for what the doctor would say. But soon enough, he came back.

"I am very sorry, but both of you are infertile."


	6. Chapter 6

Both of us?

Both of us?

I look over to my husband. His usual tan face has turned white as marble.

"We, uh...a-are you sure?" He stammers out.

"Well, there's always the possibility of a false reading, but the results came back certain. I'm sorry," The doctor said, without emotion. He probably tells people this everyday.

"So, where do we go from here?" Kukui forces himself to regain composure, keep trucking.

"Adoption is the most plausible..." His voice fades out in my mind as I quit paying attention to him. I had thought maybe we could use a surrogate, or IVF, or something. We could have children somehow. But we can't now?

I feel hot tears prick at my eyes.

But I guess it's okay.

We're young, right? We don't need kids to be happy.

...

 

Two days have passed since the appointment, and Kukui and I have barely spoken. Of course, he's not been hostile or anything. He's just been quiet. I'm in the garage, working on the Camaro, while Ash and Munchlax help me paint the body. Ash snaps me out of my work.

"Are you and the Professor okay? I know I've asked this before, but..."

I smile as I brush on lacquer onto the bumper, trying to reassure him. "Yeah, everything's okay."

"No, it's not. You and Professor Kukui have been acting weird lately. For the past two days at school, Professor Kukui has barely given us any lessons and seemed super quiet. And he goes to the lab as soon as he gets home. And you haven't been sleeping. I wake up in the middle of the night and you're still here working."

Damn, I didn't know Kukui had been so upset. And he's right; I've been working on the car instead of sleeping. This kid is too observant for his own good.

"Ash, thank you for being concerned. Kukui and I have just been going through some complicated stuff."

"Like what?" He asks curiously. His eyebrows are furrowed, racking his brain for an explanation. What should I tell him?

"Well, it's kinda private and complex." I cop-out.

"Oh," he pauses, disappointed. "Can I do anything to help?"

"No, sweetie. Don't worry about a thing," I tell him while ruffling his hair affectionately. He laughs and smooths his hair back down.

"Why don't you keep working on this? I'm gonna go inside for a sec," I tell Ash. He nods. It's time for me to really talk to Kukui.

I find him in the lab at his computer, working away on his research.

"Hey," I greet him softly.

"Hey." He turns to face me, and I'm taken aback. His hair is out of his bun and tousled, his eyes are bloodshot, and he's got huge, dark circles underneath them. I saw him this morning, but I don't really remember him looking this shitty. I guess I don't look too hot either though.

I pull up a chair to his desk and take his hand in mine. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine." He dismisses me.

"I don't really think either of us are."

He chuckles without humor. "You're right, of course."

"Ash is worried about you."

His eyes widen and he sits back. "Huh."

"'Huh?' That's all?" I feel myself getting angry, though I don't know why.

"Yeah. What else am I supposed to say?" He cocks his head at me.

"I dunno, maybe that you're grateful, or something. I dunno!"

"What the hell's going on, Burnet?" His eyes flash.

"Ash is worried! He's never worried! How shitty do we have to act before Ash gets worried?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he huffs.

"Don't dismiss me!" I yell. Why is he so...ugh! I'm angry and can barely think straight.

"Burnet, you and I are both stressed, I get it. But don't yell at me! I don't deserve it!" He retorts.

"Or what, huh? You're gonna hit me? Just like your dad?" SHIT, why did I feel the need to say that?

"You..." He growls. He grits his teeth and sets his jaw. He jumps up from his chair and stands over me, hands balled into fists.

So, this is it.

This is why I was afraid to have kids with Kukui.

I knew his dad beat him. And I knew Kukui could sometimes be a hothead, but he was always so caring. But I always feared he would beat my children just like his father beat him. That's just in the blood.

I brace myself for the blow, ready for him to hit me. But he stops himself.

"Shit." His arms drop to his sides and he starts to choke up. He falls to his knees as tears run down his cheeks.

What have I done?

I provoked him, and he reacted like anyone would under stress.

I sit down on the floor next to him, and hold him. He collapses in on me, shoulders heaving with each sob that escapes his lungs.

"I'm...so...sorry," He stammers out.

"No. I'm sorry, baby," I tell him, holding him close. "I never should have said that about your father. That was...unacceptable of me."

"No, no, no," He sits up at looks at me with big brown eyes. "I...I almost hit you. You were right." He looks down in shame.

"Don't even say that. You stopped yourself. And it was because I insulted you. I love you. I love you so, so much," I try to tell him as he bites his lip to keep from crying too hard. I've only seen him cry once, and it was happy tears at our wedding.

"I love you," he chokes out.

I push away a lock of his black hair and kiss his cheek lightly. He rests his head on my shoulder.

"What are we gonna do, Burnet?" He says quietly.

"I don't know. I don't know. I guess we just have to take it one day at a time," I try to calm him.

"Yeah, you're right. How do you always know exactly what to say?" He chuckles and smiles, finally bringing a bit of joy into his eyes. I run my thumb on his jawline, making him blush.

I hear the door open upstairs. "Professor Burnet? Munchlax ate the paintbrush," I hear Ash call. Kukui and I laugh.

"That's alright, I'll be up in a minute," I call back.

"I should come upstairs, let Ash know I'm okay," Kukui pulls his hair back into a bun and regains composure. "I feel bad. I essentially abandoned him and the rest of my students the past couple days. I just couldn't focus, y'know?" He tells me.

"I know what you mean. I'm sorry I haven't slept with you the last couple days. Working on the Camaro just helped me focus on something else, since I couldn't sleep," I hold his hand, rubbing his knuckles.

Kukui smiles. "C'mon, let's go see our Ash."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a hurt/comfort arc is about to start YAY

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Ash yells, leading us into the canopy of trees. Kukui and I hold hands, following him into Melemele Forest. We're good now; we've made up from our fight. We decided it was time to give Ash a little bonding time to make up for our spiritual absence in the last couple days, so we're on a Pokemon catching expedition.

"I expect each of you to have caught a new Pokemon by the end of the day," Ash instructs us in a deep voice while cocking his hat, mimicking Kukui. 

"Lead on, Professor," Kukui says, chuckling.

We walk along, joking and laughing as we tromp through the jungle. We see several Pokemon, though Ash manages to scare a bunch of them off by being clumsy. Within an hour, we reach a small, sandy clearing.

"Zzzt! The chance of encountering a Pokemon in this area is 87%!" Rotom buzzes. "Don't mess it up, Ash!" 

"Pfft. I won't, what are you talking about?" He says. Pikachu sighs, exasperated. Their banter is interrupted by a rustling in the bushes.

"Hm?" Kukui leans in carefully to the bush. A small gray face peeks out to greet us. You gotta be kidding me! Is that the same Pokemon from Poni Canyon...

"Mo," it squeaks. I cringe. Kukui sees my discomfort and grabs my hand.

"Ooh, who's that Pokemon?" Ash says. 

Rotom begins his description. "Jangmo-o, the Scaly Pokemon. It smacks the scales on its head against rocks or against the ground to frighten its opponents. It can also contact its friends with these noi-" 

"Braviary, come out!" Kukui interrupts Rotom, making him fume.

The Valiant Pokemon pops out and guards me.

"Wait, what's happening?" Ash asks him, registering my fear.

"Long story. But a bunch of these little shi... uh, Pokemon, tried to attack me one time. Kukui and Braviary saved me from them," I blush. The little Jangmo-o is kinda cute, actually. I don't know why I'm afraid of it. "But I'm okay." I push Kukui and Braviary out of the way gently. 

"Jai-mo," It squeaks to me. It waddles up to me and rubs its big, heart-shaped head scale against my leg.

Ash jumps up and down in excitement. "Aw, it likes you!" 

Kukui studies it. "Huh, it looks really small. It should be at least two feet tall, but it barely looks 11 inches," he notes. "Maybe it's a baby."

"Jangjang!" It babbles to me while pawing at my leggings. I reach down slowly and pat it on the head. Its cool, metallic scales pressed up against my skin as it nuzzled my hand.

"Woah, Professor, you should catch it!" Ash says to me, a sparkle in his eye. 

Kukui passes me a Nest Ball from his belt, shrugging. "You want to?"

I pause for a second, considering. Should I do this? Since I moved to Alola, the only Pokemon I've caught was Munchlax, and I'm fine with that. I'm busy, and I spend a bunch of time with Pokemon at Aether anyway. But still...something about the way Ash looks at me is convincing me otherwise. The sheer joy he has just being around Pokemon is...inspiring somehow.

I take the Pokeball from Kukui's outstretched hand and bend down so I'm eye level with the dragon Pokemon.

"You wanna come with me?" I ask it.

"Jai, jai, jai, jai!" It shrieks happily. 

"I'd take that as a yes," Kukui chuckles. I press the center button on the Nest Ball and hold it up to Jangmo-o's head. He taps it with his heart scale and is enveloped in a red light. The ball shakes one, two, three times, then lets out a chime.

"Yes! Get da ze!" Ash yells, pumping his fists and exclaiming in the Kantonian language. 

"Alright, Jangmo-o, come on out!" I tell him while throwing the green and yellow ball into the air. He appears and jumps up and down. "Okay, Ash and Kukui, time for you to catch one." They smile.

...

We walk along for a good twenty minutes until Ash and Pikachu's stomachs start to rumble. They blush.

"Guess I'm kinda hungry..." he says sheepishly, rubbing his neck.

I pull out the lunchbox I had in my backpack. "Don't worry, I was prepared for this!" 

We reach a meadow tucked in the jungle and sit down on a big rock overlooking a small pond. It was an idyllic scene. Dewpider, Surskit, and Shellos lounge around the meadow and pond, frolicking in the shallow pond. Pikipek and Wingull caw overhead while Cutiefly and Sewaddle crawl around in the grass. We eat a quick lunch, enjoying the warm afternoon sun above us. 

Ash scarfs down his sandwich and runs off to check out all the Pokemon, leaving Kukui and me to chill. Kukui checks to make sure Ash isn't paying attention to us, then removes his lab coat to reveal his ripped chest and abs. He lays down on the rock, sunbathing. He pulls me down with him playfully and lays me against his perfectly tanned body. I trace the sinews and contours of his chest wordlessly, making him shiver and smirk.

I can hear Ash, Pikachu, and Jangmo-o screwing around, chasing each other, falling down, and the like while I relax on Kukui's chest. I'm so perfectly happy. 

Kukui runs his fingers through my bleach-blonde hair and pulls me closer, kissing me softly. We lay there on the rock, just enjoying each other's presence. I can't believe we ever fought. He's just...perfect. I couldn't ask for more.

I lay there, staring up at the clouds, with my head in Kukui's lap. Kukui pulls out one of his notebooks and begins to take notes on my newest Pokemon, always bringing the work home. I let my eyelids fall and begin to nap as Kukui runs his thumb up and down my back.

...

"Hey, Burnet?" Kukui brushes my hair out of my face as I open my eyes slightly. "You awake, ku'uipo? It's almost 3." He smiles warmly at me. 

"Yeah," I tell him, yawning. I look around the meadow. It seems too quiet. "Where's Ash?"

Kukui's still writing away in his notebook. He looks up and furrows his brow. "Uh, good question. Shit." 

I think about getting angry at him but decide against it. It's not productive. "He's probably in the forest." On cue, Jangmo-o runs up to us.

"Jang, Jang! Momomo!" He shrieks. He's frowning and he looks like he might cry.

"What's wrong?" I ask him, picking him up. "Wait, where's Ash? And Pikachu?"

He points to the forest. 

"Holy fuck!" Kukui exclaims. We jump up off our rock and run through the underbrush, following Jangmo-o. Holy shit, what have I done? I shouldn't have fallen asleep, goddammit!

Just when Jangmo-o started to look lost in the forest, I spot Ash's red hat in the grass. I hear the cry of a Breloom in the distance. Then I see Ash crawled up in fetal position with Pikachu in his arms.

"Ash!" Kukui and I say simultaneously. He doesn't move.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry in advance for the infodump

"Ash! God, no, Ash!" Kukui rushes to his side and I follow suit. He rolls Ash over supine. He coughs and stirs. I let out a sigh of relief that I didn't know I was holding--at least he's alive. His clothes are dusted with a fine orange powder. Damn.

"Fuckin'...Breloom..." he chokes out. He suddenly rolls back over onto his side and vomits.

"Stun Spore?" I ask him as I check him all over for injuries. His skin is pale and diaphoretic. He nods and moans.

"I'm fine...check...Pikachu..." he says, grabbing my hand. Kukui picks up the yellow Electric Mouse gingerly and examines him head to toe. He's fainted. Pikachu squeaks a little in pain but is breathing normally. He's got a large bruise on his side.

"I don't think he was hit by Stun Spore, Ash. It looks like a bruise from...you said Breloom, right? It was probably Mach Punch," Kukui tells Ash. Ash is visibly reassured by this.

"Good, good," He coughs and sputters, clutching his stomach.

"We've gotta get him home. I have antidote," Kukui says to me urgently. I nod. He passes the unconscious Pikachu to me, then scoops Ash up into his arms bridal-style with ease. We run out of the forest, Jangmo-o trailing behind us. It takes us twenty minutes to get back to the house while Ash slowly falls into the oblivion of unconsciousness.

"Stay with us, Keiki. We're almost there," Kukui encourages as we run up the steps of the house. I unlock the door with shaking hands. Kukui lays Ash down on the couch. He writhes in pain, folding up around his distended stomach. He breathes heavily and his eyes wander around the room, losing focus.

"I'll be right back. Keep an eye on Ash!" Kukui takes a last look at Ash, then runs downstairs to the lab. I hear him rustling through cabinets and cursing. I turn to Ash, his mouth in a scowl from pain.

"You're gonna be okay, Ash. Just try not to move too much—moving makes the toxin spread faster," I take his hand and smooth his tangled black hair.

"P-Professor Burnet?" Ash pipes up quietly, registering who was talking.

"Yes, baby, I'm right here."

"O-okay," His breath is labored and heavy.

Part of my professor studies was mechanics of status moves. Here's how Stun Spore works:

1) Stun Spore is a paralysis toxin—it inhibits the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, preventing voluntary muscle movement.   
2) Inhalation, the direct way of contamination, brings the toxin straight to the bloodstream. Naturally, the immune system attempts to get rid of the toxin by raising body temperature, causing fever. It can also try to expel it through vomiting if the dosage is high enough.   
3) The paralysis travels through the bloodstream, and attaches to muscles when they are flexed due to blood flow. Thus, moving around increases paralysis.   
4) Stun Spore is typically not fatal, just extremely uncomfortable. However, very high fevers can cause seizures, and dehydration from excessive vomiting is common. The toxin will leave the body within 72 hours, but palliative care or an antidote will speed up recovery.

I'm snapped out of my inner monologue by Ash moaning. I feel heat radiating off of him; the fever is progressing. I run and grab a thermometer and a cool washcloth from the bathroom. I insert the thermometer under his tongue—103.1. Where the hell is Kukui and his antidote? I put the washcloth on his forehead, and the little stress wrinkles on his forehead dissipate as he's cooled down.

Kukui runs up the stairs with a vial and a container of sharps in his hands. "Sorry it took so long—I couldn't find any antidote so I had to synthesize one." In order to be a regional professor, you have to have a sub-specialty; Kukui's was pharmacology.

"He's got a real high fever, Kukui. I don't want him to have a febrile seizure," I worry.

"It'll be okay," Kukui tells me, halfway convincing me and halfway convincing himself. He pulls off the wrapper for a needle and syringe. He sucks up a few cc's of antidote into the needle and then takes Ash's elbow in his hands.

"Okay, Ash, you're gonna feel a little prick," Kukui warns him. Ash isn't paying attention at all, his eyes glazed over.

Kukui plunges the needle down at an angle directly into Ash's elbow vein, first try. Ash gasps a little, caught off guard. His eyelashes flutter as he wakes up.

"Professors..." He speaks softly. His eyes wander, he can't focus.

"We're right here, Ash." Kukui says, his eyes wide with concern and fear. I squeeze Ash's hand as he grips tight on me. "I just gave you the antidote. You should be feeling a lot better really soon."

"I...I don't feel too good. So cold...can't move..." he croaks out. He's shaking all over from dehydration and chills.

"Shhh, just stay still, Ash," I tell him. I grab a blanket from the loft and lay it over him. He relaxes but his muscles are tensed.

"Kukui, we need some Cheri Berries. I'm afraid the paralysis will make it difficult to breathe," I tell him softly, careful not to scare Ash.

He nods. "I'll have to go to the market and get some from Anela--I tried to find some in the lab but I'm out," he pauses, considering. "I really don't want to leave Ash. It's dumb, but..." He frowns.

"I know, babe. I feel the same way. I'll take care of him. Go to the market real quick," I tell him, nudging him out the door. 

"Okay, I'll be back in 10 minutes or less," He turns to Ash and brushes a lock of hair off his forehead. "Bye, keiki."

He runs out the door and he speeds off in the Jeep. I'm left with Ash. 

Kukui is much more qualified to deal wth him, being that he's a teacher and all. I guess I'll have to rely on...I dunno, motherly instincts?

"Ofukuro..." Ash groans to me. He pulls on my hand.

What did he say?

"I'm right here, Ash."

"D-Daijobu..." He speaks in Kantonian. He makes out a couple more phrases that I can't understand, caught up in his delirium. I hold his hand as he grips back.

His pupils suddenly constrict. "KUSO!" He yells, his eyes snapping open. His eyes fill with tears. He grips his stomach and gulps.

"Ash, what's wrong?" I ask him urgently.

"Sore wa itai...itai..." He groans. What the hell is he saying?

"Ash, I can't understand you. Can you speak in English?"

"W-Watashi wa eigo o hanashite imasu..."

Dammit. I don't know any Kantonian, except for what Ash says occasionally, like "arigato" or "gomen." The fever must be confusing him, making him revert to his first language. But Kukui knows a little; he lived in Kanto while on his Pokemon journey. When will he get back?

"Ash, I don't know if you can understand me now, but hang in there, okay? Kukui will be back really soon and he can talk to you," I try to reassure him.

"Hai..."

I sit back on the couch next to him, rubbing circles on his hand with my thumb. He closes his eyes and exhales.

I hear the bolt of the door unlock. Thank God. Kukui steps through with a bag of Cheri Berries in his hand.

"Hey, how is he?" He asks urgently.

"Not too good, I don't think. He's stopped speaking English," I answer, frowning.

He raises his eyebrows. "Um, okay. Interesting. Lemme see..." He comes over to the couch. "Hey, Ash?"

"Chichi..." His eyes open slightly and he smiles. Kukui blanches and steps back.

"Wait, what did he say?" I ask him, confused.

"He--he called me Dad."


	9. Chapter 9

"Dad? He called you Dad?" I ask Kukui.

"Uh, yeah."

"Soshite...Ofukuro..." Ash says quietly, pointing to me.

"What did he say this time?" I look to Kukui.

"Uh...uh...he called you Mom."

What? "Um, okay."

Kukui looks at me with wide eyes, then shakes his head. "Okay, well, I'll get the Cheri Berries ready," he goes off to the kitchen. He turns back suddenly. "Actually, maybe I'll stay with Ash and talk with him. Can you do the berries?" He asks me.

"Yeah, that I can do." I head to the kitchen and start mashing up the berries with a fork so Ash can eat them easily. I heard them talking in the living room.

"How do you feel, Ash?"

"Uhh, i-i-itaikedo daijōbu." He slurs his words a little.

"You sure? You look a little green still."

"Un, watashi wa genkidesu," he coughs. He tries to sit up, then falls down hard back to the couch. He groans. "Kuuuusoooo..."

"Woah, woah, woah, Ash. No moving," Kukui says sternly. I hear Ash's breathing—labored but shallow.

I finish up my mashing and bring it over to Ash with a spoon. "Here, sweetie. Can you try to eat this?"

He shakes his head. "Ie..."

"He says no," Kukui says, dejected. "C'mon, Ash, please?"

"D-dekinai," He sighs.

"I know you can, Ash," Kukui spoons a little bit up and holds it to Ash's mouth. "For me?"

Ash nods slightly and Kukui beams. He spoons a teensy bit of the fruity red mash into Ash's mouth. He gulps it down, turning green in the process. Kukui holds up a bowl to Ash as he dry heaves into it.

"Go-gomen..." Ash mutters.

"No, I'm sorry, Ash. I shouldn't have pushed you," Kukui says. His face is lined with shame.

"Just relax. We can try again later," I tell Ash. He nods and closes his eyes. I feel the washcloth on his head—it's hot.

"Ooh, Ash, you're still burning up. Lemme fix it..." I mutter, mostly to myself, as I grab some ice from the freezer. I put a little in a baggie and put it back on Ash's forehead. He sighs, then smiles weakly at me, trying to reassure me. His expression suddenly turns dark. He pats by his side, trying to find something.

"Pikachu wa dokodesu ka?" He asks us urgently. I look to Pikachu, napping out of Ash's reach.

"He's fine, Ash, but I'll look him over," Kukui tells him.

"Shite kudasai," Ash croaks out.

Kukui picks Pikachu up gingerly, careful not to disturb his side, which is bruising up. "That Mach Punch did some damage," He comments quietly. He grabs a Potion from the cabinet above the sink and sprays him lightly, making Pikachu wake up.

"Pi?" He says, confused. "Pi! Pi!" He sees Ash, lying motionless on the couch.

"It's alright, Pikachu. He's gonna be okay," I tell him, petting his chin. He reaches out to Ash.

I set him down carefully next to Ash's side. He scampers up quickly to his head, looking concerned.

"Oh, chotto, Pikachu," Ash says weakly.

"Pikuh?"

"Shinpaishinaide," he mutters. Pikachu looks unsatisfied with Ash's dismissal, but curls up next to his shoulder and promptly falls asleep, as he's injured himself.

"You wanna try and get some rest too, Ash?" I ask him.

"Tabun..." he mumbled. He closes his eyes and his chest starts to rise and fall rhythmically. Kukui and I let out a sigh simultaneously.

Kukui takes my hand in his and kisses me softly on the cheek.

"I wish I hadn't fallen asleep in the meadow...this could have all been prevented," I say, shaking my head.

"No, it's my fault. I was too busy doing my work and wasn't paying attention to Ash when he disappeared into the forest," Kukui replies, biting his lip in frustration.

"Maybe it's nobody's fault. Hell, it was Breloom's fault if I had to guess," I chuckle, trying to be positive.

"You're right. No use crying over spilled milk," he pauses, thinking. His eyes grow wide. "Shit! I have to call Ash's mom." He pulls out his phone and dials her up.

"Hi, Ms. Ketchum?"

"It's Professor Kukui."

"It's about Ash."

"He's doing alright now, but he got attacked by a Breloom this morning and got Stun Spore poisoning."

"It's pretty severe. But I don't think it'll keep him out of school for more than a couple of days. He's tough as nails."

"He's sleeping right now. I'll be sure to update you as he recovers."

"Okay, thank you Ms. Ketchum." He hangs up and exhales. "Jesus, I hate talking to parents."

"Seemed like it went okay?" I suggest, questioning.

"Yeah, she sounded concerned but not too worried. From what little Ash has told me about his past, I'm sure he's been through worse."

I nod, realizing the truth in his statement. Ash stirs on the couch next to me and groans, opening his eyes slowly.

"Hey, Ash," I greet him.

"Ya," he croaks.

"Feel any better?"

"Sukoshi. Sakashi watashi wa mada ugoku koto ga dekimasen..."

"He says he feels a little better, but still can't move," Kukui translates roughly.

I notice Ash's skin—it's very pale still, and I can see the veins popping out of his skin like leopard print. He's dehydrated. Kukui notices it too. He traces his finger over the distended vein on his forearm.

"You wanna try the Cheri Berries again?" Kukui suggests. "The paralysis will lay off if you do."

"Hai. Shikashi, moshi watashi ga ōto suru no wa anata no seidesu..." Ash smirks, amused.

Kukui laughs, releasing the tension in the room. He grabs a spoonful of the berry mash and spoons it into Ash's mouth gently. Ash chews it a little, then swallows. It stays down, and he smiles slightly.

"M-M-Motto kudasai," Ash mumbles.

"Gladly," Kukui says, beaming. He spoons him the rest of the bowl of Cheri Berries, and Ash's color already looks better. He wiggles his fingers and toes happily, able to move them around. But he breaks a sweat at the effort and sighs. His eyes close again and he's back off to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Ash sleeps for a couple hours. I notice his phone on the coffee table--it's buzzing every 5 seconds. I make sure Ash is asleep, then I peek at his lock screen. A group chat called "Alola OGs" is lit up with messages.

Kiawe: hey ash, wya? we were gonna have a battle today?

Lana: ash?

Sophocles: his latest login was this morning...

Mallow: ash? you alive?

Lillie: guys what if something happened to him? he usually texts back quickly

Mallow: ASH?

Kiawe: bruh i've been sitting at the battlefield for the past 20 mins. you otw?

Lana: ash wouldn't miss a battle...

They continue on, theorizing as to where Ash is. He sleeps soundly next to me.

Mallow: THAT'S IT WE'RE COMING OVER!

Speak of the devil, the doorbell rings. I see all 5 of their faces peeking in the window, searching for Ash. Ash stirs and opens his eyes, woken up by the wild knocking and ringing of the doorbell.

"I think we've got company," I mutter to Kukui. He stays back with Ash, conversing with him softly in Kantonian.

I sprint and unlock the door.

"Where is Ash, Professor?" Lillie asks sweetly, concern in her voice. She peeks her head around me and sees him lying there, pitiful, on the couch. She gasps. I grab her shoulders and force her gently outside.

"C'mon, we'll talk out here," I say, leading them back out to the porch.

"What happened, Professor?" Kiawe asks, urgently searching for an answer.

"He was hit real bad by Stun Spore this afternoon," I explain the whole situation to them.

"Poor Ash..." Lana comments.

"Can we see him?" Mallow cranes her head around to see Ash.

"I mean...he's not speaking English right now. The fever's got him confused," I attempt to push them away. I really don't want him to be disturbed, but he'd probably be happy to see them.

"It doesn't matter. We wanna make sure he's okay," Lillie declares, determined.

"Well...just be careful, guys." I move out of the way and they walk cautiously to the couch where Ash is laying. He keeps muttering in Kantonian, and Kukui is sitting next to him, struggling to translate and reassure him. Ash looks up when he sees the five kids approaching him.

"Yā min'na!" Ash lights up when he sees them.

"He says hey," Kukui translates.

The kids are visibly shocked by Ash's appearance. He looks like a Morelull leeched the life out of him--he's still pale and diaphoretic. It's a huge contrast from the strong, tan teenager he usually is.

Ash tries to sit up, but is unsuccessful, stopping halfway when his face turns green. "Kuso...onegai tasukete..."

Kukui jumps to help him, provoked by whatever Ash said. His strong arms lift Ash's limp body into an upright position while Ash bites his lip to stop from wincing. The kids all sit around him and Kukui and I stand back, letting them socialize. They laugh and talk, releasing tension. They can somehow understand Ash just by his body language, since they're all so close.

"I'm glad they came. Ash needed a distraction," Kukui says quietly to me as we lean against the kitchen counter.

"They're a great group, aren't they?" I agree with him.

"Mmhmm. Remarkable," Kukui smiles, proud of his students.

They hang around for about twenty minutes, until Ash starts to get drowsy. I check my watch--it's nearly midnight.

"Alright gang, it's pretty late. Go on home. I'll see you tomorrow morning," Kukui ushers them out of the house.

"Bye Ash!" They all say their goodbyes.

"Sayonara..." Ash calls out sleepily, but with a smile on his face. He closes his eyes and they stay down. Kukui sets him down so he lays flat again and I lay a blanket over him.

"Oyasumi. Chichi, Ofukuro..." He says, then conks out.

There's that word again--Ofukuro. And Chichi.

Mom and Dad?

Me and Kukui?

"Hey, ku'uipo, you okay?" Kukui asks me. I must have been staring off into space.

"Oh, yeah, fine. I was just thinking about Ash's new nicknames for us," I chuckle.

"Heh. It's probably just another confusion side effect from the fever. I think I'll just call in sick tomorrow so I can be home with Ash," He mutters, shaking his head. "It does feel kinda nice...in a strange way...to be called Dad."

"I know exactly what you mean." I hold his hand and he kisses me on the cheek. Kukui closes his eyes slightly, even though he's watching Ash vigilantly. Neither of us want to leave him.

...

I don't remember when we fell asleep, but we woke up early the next morning to the sound of Ash playing with Pikachu.

"Pika, pika, pikachu!" He calls, laughing and running up and down the couch.

"Hey, come back!" Ash laughs. He's sitting up--he must have been able to move by himself, good. And he's using English--even better. He looks over to us.

"Good morning!" He says cheerily.

"Hey, bud," I greet him. Kukui stirs next to me, opening his eyes slowly. He sees Ash and his eyes bug out of his head. He leaps up and goes to Ash's side.

"Woah, you're up! Are you okay?" He says quickly, looking over Ash meticulously. His skin is still pale and he looks dehydrated, but there's a little bit more color in his cheeks and his stomach isn't distended anymore. His muscles look a little bit less tense, too.

"I'm good, no worries," He says while tickling Pikachu. Pikachu laughs and squirms, clearly glad his trainer is feeling better.

"How do you feel?" I ask him.

"Um, hungry," he laughs. "I can get food myself though."

Before Kukui or I can stop him, he stands up confidently. But as soon as he's an inch off the couch, he tenses up, then falls straight back down on his ass while his eyes roll back in his head.

"Woah, head rush," he chuckles, brushing it off. His skin turns greenish again and he breaks into a cold sweat.

"Chill, Ash. You were on death's door yesterday, you're still recovering." I tell him, sitting him down on the couch. "How do you really feel?"

"Fine, really! I'm just stiff," Kukui glares at him. "Okay, maybe I'm a little lightheaded too. But I'm okay! Besides, we gotta get going if we wanna get to school on time."

"You're not going anywhere, Ash," Kukui wags his finger disapprovingly at him. "As the professor, I give you an excused absence."

"Fine," he sulks, but he seems relieved. A little bead of sweat drops down his forehead from the effort, and his skin pales. But then his stomach rumbles and he laughs.

"You ready for breakfast?" I ask him.

"Absolutely!" I whip up a little breakfast from what I could find in the pantry. Ash scarfs it down easily, with minimal observable nausea. He sits back and flicks on the TV. He channel surfs until he finds a replay of a Battle Royal match.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Ash cheers as the Masked Royal and his Incineroar beat the crap out of the other three challengers. Man, I love the Masked Royal! He's so cool!

I look to Kukui next to me; he seems kinda...nervous? Whatever. But he lights up suddenly like he has an idea. I ignore him, since the Masked Royal is about to finish the match.

"EN-JOYYYY!" He and his Incineroar call, ending the match. Ash and I cheer along with them.

"Man, I wish I could go out and do some training today! I wanna be just like the Masked Royal!" Ash frowns and folds his arms up, looking to me for permission.

"No sir. C'mon, sit next to me and watch the next match, maybe you'll get some training ideas?" I tell him, trying to cheer him up. He's clearly bored and antsy, but he scoots over to sit next to me and is quickly engrossed in the battle.

I hear the doorbell ring. More guests?

I get up to answer it, and I'm taken aback by who I see.

You've gotta be kidding me. The Masked Royal?


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: if, by some miracle, you don't know who the masked royal is then skip this chapter! this idea cropped up in my head and it was super fun to write so here's some fun fluff that has very little to do with the plot

"Hi, I'm looking for a certain Ash Ketchum?" The Masked Royal says in a deep baritone. He smiles politely at me with a twinkle in his eye. He stands in the doorway, waiting for me to invite him in.

Why is he in my house? I'm screaming inside. This is...not happening. Holyshitholyshitholyshit my icon is standing in front of me.

"H-he's right inside," I step aside to let the man in. His 6'2" frame makes it through the door. Something about him looks so familiar. His body size and proportions. His tanned chest. I've definitely seen this guy before, other than on TV.

He walks up to Ash and kneels down next to him, smiling. Ash is still totally engrossed in the TV battle and doesn't even realize he's here.

"Ash?" I call his attention. He looks up to me, then spins his head around when he sees the Masked Royal. He blinks multiple times.

"Ash Royal?" The masked luchador asks him. "It's good to see you again."

"Woah, the Masked Royal! Holy crap! What--what are you doing here?" Ash is stunned.

"I heard you had gotten hurt. Y'know how word gets around on the island. I figured it was time to repay the favor you did for me at the Double Battle," The Masked Royal says with a warm smile. "Would you like me to train your Pokemon for today?"

"That would be SO AWESOME!" Ash beams. I know he'd be jumping up and down right now if he could move. "Thank you SO MUCH!"

The Masked Royal laughs. "It would be an honor, Ash."

Ash passes him his Pokeballs. "Here's Torracat, Rowlet, Meltan, and Lycanroc...Pikachu, wanna go train?" Ash asks his partner.

"Pi-kuh..." Pikachu gives Ash a look like he doesn't want to leave him.

"I'm fine, no worries," Ash says to reassure him. "Go get stronger with the Masked Royal. Jeez, I can't believe I'm saying that!"

"Pikapi!" He runs over onto the Masked Royal's shoulder. He sniffs him, then looks surprised. Huh. Well, whatever.

The Masked Royal turns to face me. "Do you have any Pokemon for me to train?"

"Um, actually, yeah. I've got Munchlax and Jangmo-o," I pass him my Pokeballs.

"Perfect," he says. There's something about him. Something.

I lead him out the door and he goes to the beach to train. I watch as he calls each of the Pokemon out. They start running up and down the shoreline to warm up.

"Kuso..." I'm snapped out of my mindless staring out the window when I hear a crash. I spin around and see Ash sprawled out on the ground. It looks like he fell.

"Hey, Professor?" Ash calls to me. "Can you help me up?" He's blushing from embarrassment.

I run to his side and put his arm around my shoulder to help him stand. "Did you try to stand up by yourself?"

"Yeah. It didn't work out too well," he chuckles. "I wanted to watch the Masked Royal train..."

"We can do that. But don't hurt yourself by pushing your limits! Just let me help you. Christ!" I lecture him slightly. I walk him outside to the porch with his arm slung around my shoulder. He can support his weight pretty well, actually, so I don't have to work too hard; his legs are just stiff and his knees won't bend, so he can't walk by himself. We sit down on the porch swing overlooking the beach.

We watch him train each of our Pokemon as he gives them extra attention. He's good, that's for sure. He's very attack-centric. It's a training style I've seen before...where, I dunno. Ash is super interested in his style--I can practically see the gears spinning in his head as he analyzes the Masked Royal's every move. But he loses focus for a moment, staring off into space.

He sits back and closes his eyes. "I'm sorry, Professor," Ash sighs next to me.

"Sorry? For what?"

"I...it's my fault for getting hit by Stun Spore, and I made you guys worried, and you guys had to take care of me, and apparently I stopped speaking English, and...I dunno, I just feel guilty..." He trails off.

"What are you even talking about, Ash?" I'm confused. This isn't like Ash at all.

"I dunno. I just feel like a burden to you and Professor Kukui."

"Ash, you are absolutely not a burden. You are anything but. It brings me so much joy to take care of you..." Fuck, did I just say that? "Just let us help you, Ash. That's all I ask."

"Okay. I think I can do that," he says quietly. His eyes close a little as he gets drowsy. He leans his head against my shoulder and slips into a light sleep. I wrap my arm around him and he sighs contentedly.

Wow.

...

"Thank you again, Masked Royal. Ash and I really appreciate your training," I tell the luchador on the porch as he's about to leave.

"It was my pleasure," He lays on the charm, dazzling me with a wide smile. A smile I've seen before. Where have I seen that smile?

"I guess I'll be on my way then, Professor Burnet..." He turns to walk down the porch steps.

I catch a glimpse of his raven black hair tied into a bun at the nape of his neck as he turns around. It's got a hair tie around it...a sparkly pink one. That's my hair tie. The hair tie I let Kukui borrow this morning.

Is that...

Shit!

"Hey, Masked Royal?" I call to him.

"Yes?" He turns around.

I walk up slowly to him. I've got a hunch.

I put two fingers under his mask. "I like your hair tie."

His eyes widen.

I pull his mask up slowly to reveal the face of my husband.

"Ku'uipo..." He whispers to me.

I kiss him tenderly, and he kisses back with passion.


	12. Chapter 12

"So, how was school today, Ash?" I ask him as we sit in the garage. He's helping me wax and buff the body of the Camaro--it's almost done. Just a little bit of aesthetic repairs and we'll be finished. Plus, I still need to buy a soft top for it...and reupholster the rear seats...and install a radio...and replate the chrome on the passenger door handle...it'll be worth it, right?

"It was good! Today we had a special lesson where we learned all about the Alolan language!" He says with a twinkle in his eye. "It's kinda like Kantonian."

"Really? Well, can you say any words in it?" I prompt him.

"Uh, yeah. Alola means hello and goodbye. Pehea 'oe means...how are you. Um...Pikachu means Pikachu!" He laughs as Pikachu runs up to him upon hearing his name.

"Cool. Did Kukui teach you all that?"

He nods. "Yup. He's really good at it. He said that's all he spoke as a kid."

"Mmhm," I nod, listening. Sometimes Kukui will forget I don't know the language and will start talking to me in it, which is kinda frustrating. I never could get the hang of it--so many syllables and inflections. "So, if you learn Alolan, will that make you trilingual?"

"Hmm...yeah, I guess so! How 'bout it, Pikachu?"

"Pi-ka-CHU!"

Ash polishes a little tiny spot on the bumper with his eyes glassed over; he's clearly bored. But he suddenly brightens as he has an idea. "Hey Professor, can we go train Jangmo-o?"

"I'd be delighted, Ash. Let's go." I haven't really had a chance to bond with him, since I've been busy taking care of Ash for the past few days, but now that he's fine, I guess we can start. I pack up my tools quickly and Ash runs off to the beach. I hurry and join him out in the afternoon sun.

I pull out the yellow and green Pokeball from my pocket and tap its center button, growing it large. "Alright, Jangmo-o, let's get it started."

He appears in a flash of red light. "Mo!"

"We're gonna do some training today, Jangmo-o!" Ash kneels down to the tiny dragon. "Wow, that's kind of a mouthful. Have you though about a nickname for him, Professor?"

"Uh, not really. But I think he should have one..." Jangmo-o cocks his head at me.

"Hmmm..." Ash thinks. "Ooh, what about Django?"

"Django? Like the Tarantino movie?" I ask him with a chuckle.

"Yeah! Rotom love Tarantino movies. And Django kinda sounds like Jangmo-o."

Rotom? Tarantino? Jesus, what did Kukui program him with...

"Alright then. How do you like that name, Django?" I ask the Jangmo-o.

"Jai!" He nods.

"Then it's settled. Okay, Django, let's get to it!" I tell him, patting his head scales.

"Django, what moves do you know?" Ash asks him.

"Jai!" He stomps on the ground wildly, making it rumble. Ash and I wobble on our feet as sand flies everywhere. I hear the porch door slam as Kukui runs to us from the house, disturbed by the noise of thundering earth.

"That was Earthquake, right? I could feel it from the lab!" Kukui says as the dust clears. "Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine! Django just has a really powerful Earthquake!" Ash says, pumping his fists.

"Django?" Kukui turns to me, smirking. "Rotom's been researching Tarantino, right?"

"You weirdo," I nudge him playfully, then bend down to pet Django.

"That was really good, sweetie," I tell him. He squeaks happily. "Got any other moves to show?"

"Mo!" He dances back and forth and a magenta aura begins to cover his little body. He all of a sudden grows at least 3 inches taller and 5 inches thicker.

"Woah, Dragon Dance!" I exclaim.

"So, what does that move do? It got so big!" Ash says, quizzically cocking his head.

"It raises the Attack and Speed stats of a Pokemon by one stage each time it's used," Kukui informs him.

"Oh, cool!"

"Jai!" Django turns to me as if to demonstrate something to me. His front paws begin to glow. What now?

He smacks a rock in front of me with vigor, shattering it. He looks up to me with pride.

"Brick Break, right?" Ash asks Kukui.

"Correct!" Kukui smiles.

"Very good, Django. I'm proud!" I cheer to him. He jumps up and down with excitement.

"Huh, interesting. Django loves praise and attention...he'll be easy to train," Kukui muses.

I nod and bend down again to get eye to eye with my dragon Pokemon. Before I can give him some more praise, I hear the thumping of feet on sand.

"Prepare for trouble, it's new Pokemon training day!"

"Make it double, nothing will stand in our way!"

They go on with their spiel.

"...Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

They look thoroughly satisfied with their little motto and they smirk.

"Will you guys just go away for once! We're busy!" Ash yells at them, frustrated.

"Nope." Jessie says with a devilish smile.

"We heard the girl professor got a new 'mon, so we're gonna catch it for the Boss!" Meowth exclaims with a heavy Brooklyn accent. Why Brooklyn? That cat puts a bad name on Unova, I swear.

I pick up Django and start to walk away. "Try again, guys."

All of a sudden, James pulls a bazooka out of his ass and fires a net at Django. I dive down to dodge it, throwing Django to Kukui in the process. Kukui catches him and guards it in his arms like a football.

"YOU MISSED! God, I'm surrounded by IDIOTS!" Jessie yells at James.

"You guys are gonna PAY!" Ash starts to take out a Pokeball from his belt to battle, but Django jumps out of Kukui's arms and tackles Ash.

"Hey, what was that for? I'm just trying to help you." Ash brushes the sand out of his hair while scolding Django. But Django stands proud, facing the Team Rocket grunts. He wants to fight them himself.

Django's wide eyes turn bright red and he roars at the three criminals. "Mo-OH!" His body is enveloped in a red-orange light.

"Kuka..." Kukui curses next to me. "That's Outrage!"

Django jumps up into the air and launches himself onto the Team Rocket trio. He takes turns kicking the shit out of them, making Meowth faint and the two humans dazed. 

"JANG!" He screams a battle cry. He kicks them all one final time, sending them flying in the air.

"We're off with a new blast!" They yell as they fly off into the horizon. 

Django stands on the sand, panting. His eyes are still a bright red.

"Django?" I walk up to him slowly. 

"Rrrrr!" He growls, looking around wildly.

"Careful, Burnet, he's Confused," Kukui warns me. I brush him off and continue on. 

"Hey, baby. Thank you for saving us from Team Rocket," I tell him softly. I bend down to seem less threatening and his expression softens.

"Rrr..." He gives a slight growl as I reach my hand out for him.

Ash rummages through his bag, then pulls out a Persim Berry. "Here," he tosses it to me.

"Look at what Ash got you, Django..." I hold up the pink berry to him, which will cure his confusion.

"Mrrp?" He sniffs it, then chomps down and smacks noisily. The red light fades from his eyes as he swallows the berry. "Jang."

"Better?" I inquire.

"Jai!" He jumps into my arms and promptly falls asleep from exhaustion. We all laugh.

"He's quite the catch, Burnet," Kukui observes and smiles proudly.

"Yeah! So powerful!" Ash chimes in.

"Pikapika!"

"He is, isn't he?" I agree with them.

How will we control Outrage, though?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love me some rocket-dan


	13. Chapter 13

My eyes snap open from sleep as something lands on my chest.

"PikaPikaPikaPikaPI!" Pikachu jumps up and down on my stomach. He pulls the covers off me and Kukui and shrieks wildly. Kukui stirs, rolling over in bed away from Pikachu's stimulus.

"Piiiiiiii..." His cheeks begin to spark, charging a Thunderbolt.

"Pikachu, no!" I pull him back. He tackles Kukui anyway, jolting him awake.

"Wha-? Pikachu?" Kukui says drowsily.

"PI!" He screams.

"What is wrong?" I ask him urgently.

"Pika-pi!" Satoshi.

"Again?" I face Kukui. He's frowning.

"How many is this now? Four, maybe, in the last month?" Kukui sighs. "C'mon, let's go look."

We pad up the stairs and up the ladder to the loft. Ash is sitting on the couch with his head tucked between his knees, breathing heavily. Kukui and I sit down on opposite sides of him.

"Another nightmare?" I ask him tenderly. He nods in silence. His lips are pressed together, sealed shut.

Kukui rubs Ash's back, trying to comfort him. "What did you see, Ash?"

"Nn-nn," Ash grunts slightly, refusing to talk. He's catatonic. His body is rigid as he rocks back and forth subtly.

"Please, Ash. You know it'll make you feel better if you talk about it..." Kukui pleads with him.

Ash takes a shaky breath. "It was the Tree of Life..."

"You had a dream about it last week too, right?" I prompt him, trying to get him to talk it through.

"Yeah, same dream..." He trails off in thought and stares out the window. I can practically see him spiraling as he overthinks the situation. Funny, Ash is dense sometimes, but he's so intelligent. "I know it all ended up fine. But that moment...when I got there, and Brock, May, and Max had disappeared...somehow, I feel like it was all my fault. I...I dunno. Forget it."

"They're alright now, right?" I try to point out that it's all okay, which doesn't always work well with Ash.

"But still..." He looks up with me with wide brown eyes, pooling with tears.

I pull him into my chest, holding him in my arms. Kukui holds him from the other side, sandwiching Ash in embraces. He doesn't even cry; he's not fazed anymore. He's just numb.

He pulls away from us and picks up Pikachu in his arms, then lays back down on the couch. "You guys can go back to sleep now. I'm good."

Kukui and I look at each other, trying to figure out what to do or say. Go back to bed? Let him be alone?

"Okay, Ash. You know where we are if you need anything..." Kukui moves away. I follow suit and we head down the ladder.

"Goodnight, Makuakane, Makuahine," He mumbles as he flips over on the couch.

Kukui blanches and steps back, almost stumbling. "G-goodnight, keiki."

I'm kinda confused, but whatever. "Goodnight, Ash."

Kukui and I retire back to our bedroom. He and I flop down onto the bed.

"Christ," I exhale. "What's up with Ash? Does he need, like, a shrink or something? I mean, it's not normal to have 4 nightmares in a month...right? Kukui?"

He's not paying attention at all. His eyes are glassed over as his thoughts are occupied.

"Kukui?"

"He...he called me Dad. And he called you Mom," He bites his lip. "In the Alolan language. Makuakane and Makuahine. I just taught it to them the other day in class."

"Wait...he's not sick, right? I mean, he was totally delirious when he called us Mom and Dad in Kantonian. You think he...really means it?" I contemplate.

"I mean, I guess so...why else would he say it?" Kukui shrugs. A little smile creeps up on his face.

I smile widely as he begins to beam. I'm happy. Makuahine. It has a nice ring.

"C'mere, ku'uipo," Kukui pulls me next to him and we fall asleep in sweet embrace. 

...

"Makuahine, I can't believe you built this! It's so cool!" Ash admires my finished Camaro.

"Heh, thanks, bud. Why don't we take her for a spin?" I suggest. He lights up and hops in shotgun.

It's been a week since Ash started calling me and Kukui his parents. Alolan parents, mind you.

"Alolan family, right?" Ash explained to me when I asked him why he started to call us that.

"But what about your mom?" I asked to clarify. He waved me away.

"She's Ofukuro. You are Makuahine...is that okay?"

"I'm honored, Ash."

And I am honored. It feels as if a hole is repaired in me—a hole I had saved for a child. A child that I couldn't have. But somehow, the hole is filled. Not all the way, but filled nonetheless.

You see, not everything works out the way you intend.

And even though it's hard to see the end, you just have to trust the process. Despite the fact that you might feel out of control. Despite the fact that the cards are stacked against you.

Keep persevering.

Keep sharing.

Keep living.

I learned that from my keiki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for making it to the end. I love you.
> 
> check out my wattpad: stepheallen


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